


Malady

by enigmaticEditor



Series: local polycule threatens to cover all of paris [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Multi, Polyamory, and because it's them it's kind of intense, i already wrote an alyanette hurt/comfort fic. now it's marigami's turn, maybe one day i'll actually focus on adrienette but it is not this day, or as close to pain as i am capable of, welcome to pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28870113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticEditor/pseuds/enigmaticEditor
Summary: Marinette and Kagami discuss Ladybug’s akumatization, all that had been revealed when Kagami defeated her, and what that means for them, their relationship, and Kagami’s place as a hero.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi
Series: local polycule threatens to cover all of paris [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2049237
Comments: 2
Kudos: 59





	Malady

**Author's Note:**

> In case you don’t feel like reading the other two parts of this series: they’re seventeen at this point and have been through some rough shit, only some of which is mentioned here. The timeline splits off from canon at Miracle Queen, during which none of the heroes were exposed, and shortly afterwards Marinette (correctly) decided that monogamy is stupid and started dating Adrien, Kagami, and Alya. Though for the first time since I started writing Miraculous fics, Alya pretty much sits this one out. Had to happen eventually.

“You know how it started,” said Kagami. 

“I do.” 

* * *

It was an akuma alert like any other, more or less, though Marinette’s response was tinged with a new kind of weariness, and not just because it'd woken her up on one of the rare mornings she got to sleep in. The previous one, two days before, had been a new step up in Papillon’s current campaign to hurt the heroes as personally as he could. It wasn’t about claiming victory in combat anymore. He simply wished to make them suffer. Perhaps Papillon sought to convince them, as he had when he first revealed himself, that it would truly be easiest for them to surrender and let him make whatever wish he desired. 

There was no possibility of such a gambit working. So even as the situations Papillon forced them into became more and more painful, and they had to rely on the powers of the Snake more and more at the added risk of Luka Couffaine’s own mental health, they never showed any signs of breaking. Right up until Papillon, in a move that reminded Marinette unnervingly of Chat Blanc, implanted an akuma in a person’s heart. Or, technically, an ICD, but it was close enough. Restraining the villain wasn’t a problem, but freeing them presented a unique and deeply distressing challenge. 

It would have been far from the first time an akuma victim had wound up dead or grievously injured before the Cure. Her own grandmother had been turned into a pillar of coal, after all. Yet, that incident and similar cases were different, somehow. More whimsical. Completely or partially self-inflicted. Done by magic, and so obviously capable of being undone by magic. Having to, with the more-than-sufficient strength in their own hands or one of their weapons, tear into a living being’s chest to remove that which was corrupting them… it was beyond her and Chat Noir. 

Thankfully for them, it wasn’t beyond Kagami. And certainly not beyond Ryuuko. The wielder of the Dragon had requested only that the Black Cat and the Ladybug avert their eyes. To their own shame, they had, permitting their mutual partner to do what they could not. 

A quick thrust of her blade and it was done, the victim slumping over and a cursed butterfly making a token attempt at escape. The latter was captured and the former was Cured within seconds. 

It had been weighing on Marinette’s mind, what Papillon might force them to do next. For a time, her primary fear had been for Alya, but her girlfriend had seen the attempt coming and dealt with it herself when it arose. After all, everyone knew that Alya Césaire was the civilian closest to the heroes. Ladybug had, on record, stated that they’d made a deal: if Alya stayed out of the warzone and shifted more to analysis and interviews instead of live footage, she’d be the first to get any message the heroes had for the public. This made her a target, but as she also happened to be Rena Rouge, she was well suited to shaking off both suspicion and Papillon’s attempt to use her to get to the heroes. So, what would his next move be? 

She couldn’t possibly have been prepared for the answer. Seen it coming, yes, as one of the countless possibilities swirling in her mind that sometimes threatened to overwhelm her on the worst days. But been prepared for it? Never. 

Over two years had passed since the day Tomoe Tsurugi was akumatized. Since the day her daughter, too eager to enter the fray to care for concealing her identity, had revealed herself without hesitation. For whatever reason, Papillon had never acted on his knowledge. Not once. 

Why, she could only guess. Perhaps Papillon had simply been biding his time. Maybe he thought he could convince Kagami to join him, which was a laughable concept. Or maybe he feared the wrath of the Tsurugi corporate empire should he make a move against their scion. 

Whatever his reasons, they no longer held him back. She was already transformed and swinging in the direction the alert had pointed her before she sought out details, and they stopped her cold. 

In mere seconds, an akuma had appeared, taken the form of a monstrous knight, and destroyed the Tsurugi estate thoroughly. Then it had vanished, the butterfly purifying itself and the victim disappearing into the crowds. A couple other heroes, ones who didn’t know the significance of what the akuma had done, were hunting them. She could leave them to it. 

It didn’t quite register, at first. She allowed instinct to take over, guiding her to the site of the destruction, the noise in her head and the roaring of her pulse in her ears drowning out all attempt at thought. Only once she landed before the rubble that had been her girlfriend’s home did it sink in. 

It wasn’t merely that Kagami lay dead somewhere underneath the wreckage. That, she could fix, and it would hardly be the first time. 

Her Cure wasn’t all-powerful. Damage done _by_ magic, she could undo in its entirety virtually without fail. Damage done _for_ or _because of_ magic… usually. It required concentration and could be imperfect. Similarly, the mental strain from the likes of the Snake, or from combining Miraculouses, she could never quite repair in full. As for mundane healing… she knew it was possible, but so far it had eluded her unless she counted her own civilian injuries healing at a rapid, if not obviously supernatural, pace. She suspected that if she wasn’t expending her power regularly to restore the city after akumas, she might be able to do more. 

She summoned her Charm, and it fell into her hands in the form of a small handheld mirror. Ladybug regarded her own reflection bitterly. 

Oh, yes. Her powers were more than enough to save Kagami. But she couldn’t Cure the simple fact that, if Papillon had decided to run her down, Kagami Tsurugi could not stay in Paris. The girl herself would fight it, but Tomoe would simply leave if she had reason to believe that her daughter’s life was in danger. Marinette would lose her. Adrien would lose her. Kagami _and_ Ryuuko. More than that, Marinette would have to do the right thing. Give her up, for her own safety. She’d have to put being the perfect hero, the Guardian of the Miraculous, the savior of Paris, ahead of being Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

Things would have to change, in a way she couldn’t accept. Rather than see herself start to cry, she tore her gaze away and shakily readied herself to bring her girlfriend back into a reality in which they could no longer be together as they had been. No more fighting at each other’s side, no more stolen moments with all three of them, no more furtive smiles when no one else could see… 

Looking away from the mirror was a mistake. She never saw the butterfly coming, and her reflection darkened. 

_“Malady…”_

She struggled, and almost won by sheer force of will. Almost. It simply wasn’t enough, as the moment the akuma landed it had robbed her of that which made her a hero. Papillon had tried to prey on her weaknesses before, his corruption amplifying her rage, fear, or grief. It had always failed, but now he, in a sudden shift in tactics, had identified and stolen away her greatest strength. Without it, she couldn’t be Ladybug, and she didn’t want to think about being Marinette. Without one of her identities to anchor herself to, she was lost, and she knew it. 

She fell into darkness, and rose again. 

The girl who had been Ladybug was more lucid than she thought she’d be. The evidence being, that she was capable of that observation. And of tuning out Papillon, who was trying to direct her next action. Ha. No, that wasn’t how this worked. 

After all, he had made a grievous error. In akumatizing her, he had ensured his own defeat. The only one she truly wanted gone was him, and she was _free_. 

Malady raised her mirror, and in it, saw a frozen wasteland made of her city. Yes, that one would do nicely. 

She smiled. 

* * *

“All I remember is the name and what he took from me. Do you know what that was?” 

“I think so, but I’m not certain how to put it into words.” 

Marinette took a deep breath. “Have you ever wondered what would happen, Kagami, if I was a little more like Papillon? If I believed that the ends justified the means? If I let go of my insistence on doing things the right way, and did… whatever I possibly could to defeat him?” 

“I don’t need to wonder, do I?” 

“No. You don’t. But all this time, I’ve been wondering: how did you survive? Both the first akuma and… me. I don’t even know what I looked like, much less what my powers were, but given as all of Paris just missed those hours entirely…” 

“Malady looked very much like Ladybug. The spots were the same, and you had no extravagant embellishments. But the red had been exchanged for unsettling, sickly shades of green and yellow that were constantly shifting and induced nausea in anyone who looked. Your power was devastatingly simple. You wielded the exact opposite of the Cure with your corrupted Charm.” 

Even just the description made Marinette’s skin crawl. “Opposite… how?” 

“She could reverse anything you, as Ladybug, had restored. The first thing you did was return the city to how it was during Frozer. As for why I was not iced over, I did not exist at the time, not in a way your magic recognized. I barely recognized myself and was struggling for consciousness. Simply put, I was stuck, discorporated, fighting to rematerialize and join the battle.” 

“Stuck? Wait. You were Ryuuko? How… how did you possibly react in time? The akuma…” 

“Here is where I must apologize for a more recent misdeed than that which we must discuss today. When you asked whether anyone had attempted nonverbal transformation two days ago, I did not lie, but did not respond truthfully. You were not the first to manage it, Marinette. I’m afraid that distinction goes to me. I’m sorry for not saying so before, though it would have raised questions you were not ready for me to answer. In the fraction of a second I had to respond, I transformed and discorporated into water. I recognized the danger, understood why it was occurring, and refused to be Papillon’s victim. I am not, nor will _ever_ be, your damsel in distress. Petty, perhaps, but that feeling, in combination with the terror of an impending violent end, was more than enough to dissolve the barrier between me and Ryuuko.” 

Some part of Marinette wanted to laugh. That was so very Kagami. However, this wasn’t the moment. “So why didn’t you reform?” 

“When I use the Dragon’s abilities, I choose a precise action and carry it out. I plan it. I have to. The storm is not a conscious force. When I channel it, I must have a destination in mind. Until this incident, I wasn’t quite sure what would happen if I failed to do so. I assumed that I might not rematerialize at all.” 

It took Marinette a second to respond. “Kagami, I… that’s _terrifying_. Why do you have to use it like that? I didn’t.” 

“You are not the ideal or chosen wielder of the Dragon. The fact that you are capable of using it at all is a testament to your inherent determination and mental flexibility, but drawing out its full potential is simply beyond you. Just as it would be far beyond me to use the Ladybug half as effectively as you. Longg has told me as much. In short, you may use the storm, but between the two of us, only I can become it.” 

Marinette was silent. 

“The Dragon is, above all else, power. While no Miraculous is meant purely for combat, the Dragon has seen the most use in battle over the centuries. One of the first lectures Longg ever gave me concerned why my weapon is a sword, while even the Black Cat, incarnation of destruction, carries a staff. But make no mistake: I am the one who chose to be a warrior above all else. My own safety was never going to be a priority.” 

With a groan, Marinette pressed her hands to her face. “Two of you,” she muttered around them. 

A ghost of a smile flickered on Kagami’s face before vanishing again. “He is reckless at times because he is brave and selfless. We both love him for it, as much as we would see him learn to value himself more and even stay out of harm’s way entirely. But it would be selfish of us and disrespectful to him to enforce that. I, for my part, am not reckless. I do what is necessary and no more.” 

“If you say so.” 

“I do. To continue: in that moment, my only thoughts were to escape, so I did not reform as usual. For the second time today, I must apologize. If I had been able to come up with a proper plan of action in time, I could have prevented your akumatization. Or, at least, I could have stopped what came next. As it was, I only managed to pull myself together, hiding beneath the rubble, moments after he had already confronted you. You called Adrien by name, and he responded in kind. It’s as simple as that. I stayed hidden. If I’d shown myself to him, he’d have given me away, and then it would have been over.” 

At the mention of Adrien, her breathing had become erratic, and there was a tightness in her chest. “He… he saw me? But he said…” 

“Yes. In fact, he’s the one who gave me that rather fanciful physical description I relayed to you, as I did not stop to examine Malady during our very brief encounter. Not that your confrontation with Chat Noir lasted particularly long either. After all, how many times has your Cure saved him?” 

Marinette had wanted to have this conversation without crying. So much for that. 

Kagami’s hand rested firmly on her shoulder until she collected herself. “I am the one who asked him to keep it from you based on how fragile you were afterwards and your request of me to delay this very discussion. If you are angry at him, please direct that at me, instead.” 

“No. I’m not angry. I don’t like that you two hid it from me, but I understand and accept your reasoning. I might even agree with it. When it comes to this, at least,” she added, pointedly. 

“We’ll get to that.” 

* * *

Malady had been expecting company. After all, there was one other person who had survived that akuma. Well, two technically, but she’d find the second later. Assuming he still lived in Paris. About a fifth of the pre-Papillon population of the city had moved away in the past few years. She couldn’t blame them. 

The girl had never been willing to admit it to herself, but she’d liked the city better as of late. Just that bit less crowded, less noisy. Though now it was completely empty and silent, which didn’t suit her at all. No matter, it wouldn’t last. 

She knew where he’d be coming from. When she first caught sight of the wielder of the Black Cat, she felt a brief impulse to attack him and claim his Miraculous. She dismissed it. The instructions imprinted on the akuma surged against her again and again, but without a conscious mind reinforcing them, they were all too easy for Malady to suppress. 

Chat Noir approached with uncharacteristic caution. She waited patiently for him to close the distance. 

“M… milady?” 

“Almost, kitty. Almost. My name is Malady.” 

Her boyfriend hissed at that, ears flattening and his stance readying itself for combat. It would appear he wasn’t fond of her new title. Neither was she. She knew that it was designed by Papillon specifically to hurt him, to make it even harder for him to fight her, but it was a blow he would have to shake off. It’d be worth it in the end. 

She rolled her eyes. “Chat. Relax. I’m not going to fight you. Not unless you force me to.” 

“I… what?” He was confused, but still had his guard up. Fair enough. 

“He’s gone, _chaton_. Papillon, in his utter foolishness, granted me the power to reverse my Cures. He forgot that I’ve restored his life a number of times, when his own akumas slew him. Don’t you remember the first time he made that fatal error? Frozer, obeying the command to subdue us and seize our Miraculouses, ended every living thing in the city save himself and us in an instant. Maybe you didn’t notice- you were in something of a mood, if I recall- but I did. Somewhere out there, Papillon was frozen in place, unable give his victim any more orders. And that’s exactly the state I’ve returned him and the rest of the city to.” 

Adrien tried to speak, but no words came out. 

Malady’s voice was almost melodic. “Don’t you see, kitty? This is how it ends. Papillon was always going to be his own downfall. My mistake was allowing him to set the rules for as long as I did. Reacting, never acting. Healing, never hurting. Being the perfect little hero that everyone wanted was only playing right into his hands.” 

“What… what are you going to do?” 

“I will find him. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. Building by building, room by room… oh, Paris might miss a few days, but I’ll work fast, and our city has weathered worse, hasn’t it? I won’t hurt anyone. I can’t. They’re frozen in time, after all.” 

“They’re _dead._ ” 

“Same difference, you silly cat. When I revive them, they won’t know that anything happened. Until they learn that Papillon is gone for good, and I doubt they’ll mind the lost time. They’ll move on with their lives. And so will we, at last.” 

She shrugged. “It’s a simple, direct, and unstoppable play. I believe Kagami would approve.” 

Her partner opened his mouth to argue, but he was interrupted before he could speak. 

“And when I’m done,” Malady said, as if chatting about the weather, “I can bring our Dragon back into a world where she doesn’t have to run from Papillon. A world where we can all be together, without his shadows looming above on poisoned wings. Doesn’t that sound wonderful, Adrien?” 

Chat Noir jolted at the blithe use of his name, but then returned the favor as he understood the full implications of what Malady had just said. And, indeed, how the situation they were in now how come about in the first place. “Bring her… back? Where she doesn’t have to… Oh. Oh _no_. Marinette-” 

“As I said, my name is Malady right now. If I deny that, I might lose this chance Papillon has so graciously let fall into my hands.” 

“ _Marinette_. Please. Hand me the mirror. I… I won’t ask again.” 

“Neither will I. Help me, _chaton_. I would have you at my side for this, as in all things. You deserve to bring him down as much as I do. When we find Papillon, and rip the Butterfly Miraculous from his frozen corpse, I will gladly let you release me from this akuma. We can confront him together, just the two of us. Our allies will not begrudge us that.” 

“No.” His voice was stronger now. “I will not let you do this. Not to the city, not to its people, and not to yourself. Because I know you, and if you learn what you’ve done… it will break you, Marinette.” 

At that, Malady laughed and shook her head. “Oh, Adrien. You were always the soft one. I love you for it, I always have. I always will.” 

In one desperate motion, Chat Noir lunged at his akumatized counterpart, claws outstretched yet trembling. Just as quickly, Malady turned, mirror held aloft. A single touch upon the glass, and Adrien Agreste vanished. 

“Sleep well, my prince. I will wake you when my work is done.” 

* * *

“I… I’m curious.” 

“Are you going to ask if I, as you yourself suggested, approve of Malady’s plan?” 

Swallowing nervously, Marinette nodded. “Before what happened, I would have said no. But…” 

“Given my actions, you have doubts. I understand, and take no offense. The answer is, Marinette, that I considered it briefly, then came to the same conclusion Adrien did: it doesn’t matter whether that was the right or wrong choice, because you would have hurt yourself in the process. You would have never forgiven yourself. Stopping you was the only choice I would have ever made.” 

“…Thank you. I needed to hear that.” 

“Of course.” 

* * *

Ryuuko did not have time for feelings. 

Her mother was dead. Her boyfriend was dead. The former, while uncommon, wasn’t a novelty, and the latter she now knew to be a monthly occurrence which she had personally witnessed more than once. The only things unusual about the situation she was in was that she knew it was her partners behind the masks of Ladybug and Chat Noir, and that it was her girlfriend she was now responsible for subduing. 

Their voices had carried in the empty city, and she could still hear Malady nearby, doing exactly as she’d told Chat Noir she would. Building by building, room by room, casually destroying anything in her way with the certainty that she could fix it later, circling outward from her starting point… 

Ryuuko had to wait for her moment. It might be a while. Nevertheless, there was no time for feelings. 

She wasn’t sure how long she crouched there, in a cavity in the ruins of the Tsurugi estate, before Malady had left the area and Ryuuko deemed moving to be worth the risk. Carefully, ever so carefully, making as little noise as possible, she broke through to the surface. She couldn’t afford to use her powers. She’d need the two she had remaining for her plan. One to strike down Malady, the other to spare Marinette. 

Between the sun and the ice all around her, not to mention her time in near total darkness, she was almost blinded at first glance. She averted her eyes and didn’t look back, having little interest in witnessing for herself what her corrupted partner had done. She had work to do. After all, even her lightning wouldn’t be enough. She needed a way to ensure that Malady couldn't even react to her presence. 

The answer was in the rubble beneath. Ryuuko started picking what remained of her home apart, searching for the one way to end this nightmare. 

* * *

“There’s something I don’t understand,” said Marinette. 

“Yes?” 

“If I was after Papillon, and only Papillon, surely I could have done something else? Something less… horrible.” 

“You certainly could have. Our saving grace was, not for the first time, that an akuma is still an akuma, with a bent towards destruction. I had plenty of time to think about such things. Before I confronted you, I had already identified six other, notably more efficient methods that you could have employed to achieve your goal, four of which would have left me incapacitated. At any moment, you could have realized this and changed tactics. That is why I did not waste time worrying about the consequences of what I was about to do.” 

* * *

Malady never had a chance. That was, after all, the point. 

The first thing Ladybug felt was cold. The second was a hand on her face, covering her eyes. 

“What’s… what’s happening-” 

“Ladybug. Focus. There is no time. If you have ever trusted me, you _won’t look_ when I remove my hand.” 

That voice. Of course she knew that voice… but she couldn’t place it. How was that possible? Surely it was a hero speaking to her, and she knew them all. “I… what? Who are you?” 

“I am Kagami Tsurugi,” said the voice, and then it _was_ her voice. “But right now, I am the Empress. I repeat: do not open your eyes.” 

“I won’t.” Something in her had reacted with… too many emotions to process upon hearing Kagami’s voice, but she couldn’t quite recall why yet. She pushed it aside. Whatever was happening, her girlfriend needed her. 

“Open your weapon. I will bring the akuma to you.” 

“Done.” 

“Wind dragon,” called the Empress. 

Ladybug felt the hand covering her eyes vanish in a rush of air, but she obeyed the Empress and did not look. Once the akuma had been forced into it, her yo-yo slid shut. 

“Now,” said the Empress, reformed in front of her, “cast the Cure.” 

She obeyed without question, throwing the… mirror? Yes, she remembered it was a mirror. Things were still fuzzy, but she knew that much. She waited for Kagami’s next instruction. 

“When I finish speaking, you can open your eyes. After that, I have one last thing to ask of you, Ladybug.” All of a sudden, her girlfriend’s voice had a breathy, ragged quality. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to take me home.” 

Ladybug moved just in time to catch the collapsing Empress, and the sight of her brought everything flooding back. The transformation, a swirl of red and gold and yellow, was already fading by the time she registered anything but the simple fact that Kagami Tsurugi was unconscious in her arms. As the colors receded, the magic withdrawing back into the choker around her neck, Ladybug’s gaze was drawn elsewhere. 

Up to a silver comb nestled in Kagami’s hair. 

* * *

“I know when I lost the Bee. What I don’t know is when you found it.” 

“You never lost it. I took it, after your attempt to use it to finally subdue the monster tearing its way through our city and our ranks failed and I had to rescue you from the jaws of death. Did you never wonder why the akuma stayed stunned for so long after I attacked?” 

“I’d only seen you use lightning once before. I assumed it was just part of that. But more importantly… Kagami, I was hoping that you found it during my akumatization, even though I suspected worse. That battle was months ago. You had months to tell me, months in which I’d been worrying about Pollen, months in which I feared the Bee had somehow been destroyed beyond my ability to Cure, months in which I was convinced that I’d irreparably failed as a Guardian. Do you understand why I am angry? Why I have no choice but to be angry?” 

“I will offer no defense. There is none. I made that clear when I returned the Bee to you after I awoke.” 

“Then an explanation will do.” 

“Very well. Even with your Cure, I found myself on the brink of collapse afterwards. I returned home as quickly as possible. You know that showing that kind of vulnerability is difficult for me, and I did not wish to worry you unduly.” 

“You’ve gotten better at that.” 

“I have.” 

They were teetering on the verge of the very worst of this conversation, and Marinette, in a moment of cowardice, scrambled to find something to put between herself and having to hold Kagami accountable for her actions. 

“Did. Did your mother speak to you after… everything? I never asked. I should have.” 

Kagami narrowed her eyes at the sudden subject shift. “You were upset and in need of comfort that I could not be the one to give. And no, she did not.” 

“Oh. About that…” 

* * *

Ladybug moved quickly. They weren’t far from the Tsurugi estate, and the citizens of Paris were too caught up in having suddenly lost a few hours- a rare, but not unprecedented occasion- to notice her. Still, it wouldn’t do for anyone to see her carrying someone who was still unconscious despite the Cure. There would be questions, and perhaps even panic if they thought that her powers were starting to malfunction. 

She slipped into Kagami’s room and placed her carefully on her bed. Her girlfriend’s breathing was steady; there was no reason for anyone to believe she wasn’t merely taking a nap. 

Only then did she notice that Kagami’s mother was in the room with her, sightless gaze fixed on her daughter. Chillingly reminiscent of Ryuuko, she bore no expression whatsoever. 

The words came automatically. “My apologies, Madame Tsurugi. Your daughter was caught up in the latest akuma attack. She will be fine,” the words coming out with force as if she could speak them into being true beyond all doubt, “she simply needs rest. There is little I can do for mental exhaustion, and it was a distressing akuma to witness.” 

Tomoe waited until she was done, and then just long enough to make Ladybug feel uncomfortable, before speaking. “Do not take me for a fool, Ladybug. I know my daughter is one of your allies. Whether she is a civilian assistant like that Césaire girl or one of your little band of heroes, I do not know, and I prefer to remain ignorant on the matter.” 

Usually, this is where Marinette would have started stuttering hopelessly. As it was, she was too weary to do anything but wait for Tomoe Tsurugi’s next words. 

Her expression did not change, nor did her tone. “However. I do know that I cannot stop her. She is willful, not to a fault, but to perfection, and were I to forbid her she would merely become more determined. Furthermore, given as she survived both the very rapid attack on our home and the evidently instantaneous attack on the entirety of the city, I can only presume that you have put her safety above that of others, including myself, as is right and proper. Provided you continue to do so, I will overlook this.” 

Marinette almost wanted to laugh. No, she hadn’t put Kagami’s safety above that of others. She couldn’t, even if she wanted to. Maybe she’d given her a Miraculous to let her escape harm, and maybe Tomoe would see no difference between defending Kagami and giving Kagami the tools to defend herself, but Marinette certainly did. And if Papillon repeated his assassination attempt, she would have no choice but to select a new Dragon and distance herself from Kagami. The thought was heartbreaking beyond words. 

The increasingly one-sided conversation was over. “You are dismissed, hero of Paris,” said Tomoe Tsurugi. 

Without a word, Ladybug took her leave. Only when she collapsed onto her bed, tears finally starting to come, did she realize that she’d forgotten to retrieve the Bee. 

* * *

“Nothing about this is surprising or new to me, Marinette. You are putting off the most necessary part of our discussion.” 

Kagami was right. “Fine,” she said, surprised by the anger in her voice despite having just stated that it was an emotion she was entitled to. “Then tell me. Why did you take the Bee without my permission? Why did you _keep_ it from me? Why did I have to learn of your… your _betrayal_ on the worst day of my life?” 

Instantly, she regretted the harshness of her words, but Kagami took it in stride. “I will give surface answers to your exact questions to begin with. First, because you were unconscious and injured, drained from both your doomed attempt at using the Bee yourself and the damage the akuma had done to you. Second, because I was afraid that you would repeat the same tactic only for me to be unable to save you when it failed again. Third, because I needed the Bee to defeat Malady. Now, we can get into the details. Marinette, do you know why the Bee did not work for you?” 

“Not exactly. It didn’t make sense. I've used it before.” 

“Against far weaker opponents. The stronger the target, the more willpower and aptitude for subjugation it requires to paralyze, and that was one of… hmm. We never did come up with a name for that set of akumas. But you know to what I refer.” 

Marinette did. That had been when Papillon had let go of subtlety and gimmicks and begun akumatizing those who were monstrous even as humans, those who often had to be forcibly subdued and escorted away by the police after being restored to their normal selves. Those who _deserved_ to have the police inflicted upon them. These akumas were walking disasters, without mercy, uncontrollable even by Papillon himself, who had more than once seemingly been a victim of their rampages. When he went radio silent and ceased trying to restrain his creations, Marinette could only assume that he’d been one of their innumerable victims. 

Those dreadful weeks were what had led to Ryuuko becoming a permanent hero despite the obvious danger. Marinette needed someone who could withstand the sheer malice of these opponents, who could stay fully functional even in the face of such carnage. That person was Kagami. It could only be Kagami. “I need a warrior,” Ladybug had told her, and Ryuuko had never once failed to live up to the title. 

The adversary that had forced her to use the Bee was dozens of meters tall, demonic, and ram-horned. Everything- buildings, trees, people, almost every hero- that got near it would crumble into nothing well before they came into contact with it. The only reason they had any chance at all was that it was slow and appeared to have to keep eerily chanting to maintain the magic tearing apart its surroundings. It had gotten distracted once, arguing with Papillon, and the deterioration had ceased. It had been too brief, and too unexpected, for them to do anything about it. 

Ladybug and Chat Noir had shown mild resistance to the damage inflicted by the akuma’s presence. Not enough to allow them to actually fight it, but enough that Ladybug felt that if she moved quickly and landed a strike with Venom, she’d still be functional enough to find the object and cast the Cure afterwards. 

She had, in fact, managed to resist the corrosion eating away at her form and use the Bee’s power. However, the akuma did not stay frozen. Worse, the transformation took far more out of her than she had expected, and activating Venom only accelerated the sapping of her strength. If Kagami hadn’t noticed that the akuma was starting to move again, it would have reduced her to a pile of ashes before she could get away. 

“You,” said Kagami, “are not capable of subjugation. It is not in your nature. I, on the other hand, am familiar with the idea, even if I do not let it dominate my life as I once did. I could use the Bee without too much trouble, though I prefer the Dragon. The problem arose when I tried to use them both. The storm may conquer, but it does not subjugate. Lightning does not strike targets with menacing intent behind it; it simply does. The two concepts could not be more different, and wielding them together is difficult and dangerous beyond description. Even so, I was able to do it, just for the few seconds I needed. You know exactly the level of control I have over myself in body, mind, and soul. Doing what I did required that mastery, just as it took a toll from all three. And yet, tell me, Marinette, Madame Guardian, Ladybug herself: could we have won that battle without it?” 

This was something Marinette had been thinking about for the past minute already. She had an answer prepared. “No. We needed the Bee to disable the akuma and its aura of decay so we could stay in range, and a way to close the distance in the first place. The Horse and Monkey were already… gone, along with many others. Your method was the only option remaining, save perhaps giving Adrien the Bee… and if your theory on the matter is true, I don’t think that he would have been able to do much more than I did.” 

“It’s not a theory. I do bother to listen to Longg’s lectures when they have a reasonable possibility of being relevant. I too very much doubt our boyfriend could have used the Bee even if he had not been already injured. So I took it. As I would against you months later, I used lightning to move myself instantaneously and Venom to freeze our foe in place. Afterwards, I asked myself: if going to such lengths were required again, would you allow me to do so? Or would you try to do it yourself?” 

“I…” Marinette trailed off, and found herself at a loss for words. 

“Answer the question, Ladybug.” 

“No. At… at least then, I would have refused to let you take that risk.” 

“I know. And so I kept the Bee, hidden away. I talked to its kwami and my own, learned its sordid history. Those with a bent towards subjugation are rarely heroes, and the few that could truly claim that title walked a razor-thin line for as long as they could. Falling to one side or another is all too common and all but inevitable. Gifting the Bee to any one person for consistent, long-term use is a decision that should be made with extreme care, perhaps more so than even the Snake.” 

Marinette knew this too. She’d agonized over it, at times even blaming herself for what had happened with Chloé. Had she, by giving the girl a Miraculous that aligned with her worst traits, encouraged her to fall prey to them? Chloé’s actions were undeniably her own, and yet it was also true that the Bee was a double-edged sword; there was a reason Marinette didn’t simply use it to win every battle. She had known it might harm her, and in fact Pollen had warned her that she would have trouble using it against a foe of this caliber, but she had ignored the kwami in her haste. 

None of this excused what Kagami had done. “Tell me. When would you have returned the Bee?” 

“Upon Papillon’s defeat. I fully expected to be stripped of my own Miraculous as punishment. It would have been worth it. Or, at least, it would have been if Ladybug hadn’t turned out to be one of the people I care most about in the world. Had I discovered your identity in some happier way, I would have confessed immediately. Betraying Ladybug’s trust is something I was willing to do, in order to ensure the Bee did not fall into the wrong hands. Those hands being, in this one case, hers. But betraying Marinette’s trust is a very different matter. I am sorry for the pain I have caused you.” 

“I’m glad to hear that, but I can’t condone what you did. Also, you didn’t actually apologize for the action.” 

“I won’t. It would be a lie. I do not, and will not, regret it. My deception is the only reason why Malady did not achieve her goal. How do we proceed?” 

The young Guardian was silent. The wielder of the Dragon waited for her judgment. 

“I’ve had plenty of time to think about this, Kagami. We both have. I understand why you did what you did, and I believe you when you say that you wouldn’t have if you’d known who I was. From where I’m standing, however, that shouldn’t have mattered. While forgivable, and I am more than willing to forgive you… I’m struggling with the concept that you were willing to do so much harm to yourself, and to Ladybug, who was your friend if not your girlfriend, simply to give us a better chance at success. I’m not… I’m not her, Kagami. I’m not Malady. I don’t believe that the ends justify the means. Ever.” 

“I believe that sometimes they do. Not always, but not never. That is the difference between us. That is what makes me a warrior, just as it is what makes you a hero. Marinette, we are different. We function differently as Miraculous wielders in service to the people of this city. I knew this well before I knew that Ladybug was the girl I have loved since I was fifteen. You impose your own uncompromising, relentlessly kind morality on the world around you, and you have done so much good because of it. You will continue to, and I look forward to all that you will accomplish. Yet, there are times when the best of intentions and the purest of hearts cannot restrain evil. Times when the hand you never fail to extend will only be used to drag you to the ground. When that happens, I step in, and I do not hesitate. You called upon me to be your warrior, and I am.” 

“Kagami, that’s _bullshit_.” 

It wasn’t often that Kagami Tsurugi was astonished. All she did was blink, not even sure how to go about expressing that particular emotion. 

“You,” Marinette growled, jabbing her girlfriend just below the collar, “are a seventeen-year-old girl, not a cold automaton or a seasoned warrior.” 

“True, but there are times when I must-” 

“No. There aren’t. Kagami, we’re children fighting a magical battle against an opponent that knows that if he goes too far, either he’ll kill himself or adult heroes will step in and destroy him. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been rationally worried that someone might actually be hurt beyond what I can Cure, and it has _never happened_. Physically, at least. For the most part, the world turns on as normal around us, our skirmishes more an inconvenience than anything for anyone that isn’t caught up in them. We are not soldiers, mindlessly throwing our lives away. We are not warriors, prioritizing the ‘greater good’ over our own needs. We are _heroes_. We believe in a kinder world, one where we can be ourselves _and_ stand for the greater good, and act as if that world already exists in the hope that it one day will. I would not see you be merely a warrior, and I will most certainly not allow you to become a soldier. You do not need to lock away a part of who you are in order to shield Adrien and I from the worst of the world. We can handle it, as long as you stay at our side. Not in front of us. At our _side_.” 

Kagami said nothing. She simply stared, openmouthed. 

“I’m not asking you to not be yourself. I’m asking you _to_ be yourself.” 

At least thirty seconds passed before Kagami’s face resolved into a soft smile. “You are as full of surprises as ever, my dear Marinette.” 

Marinette refused to allow herself to be caught up in Kagami’s affectionate words. Not yet. “My mistake, Kagami, was that I asked you to be a warrior, instead of a hero, when you are so clearly both.” 

“I accepted.” 

“But I _asked_ , which I should never have done. You are a hero, Kagami, and in all honesty, I would prefer it if you could be only that. But I love you, even the parts of your nature I can’t quite understand, the parts I can't help but wish were different. That’s part of _my_ nature. It hurts me to see you be a warrior, to see you close yourself off like that. But loving someone means accepting them, every part of them. So...” 

She took a deep breath and looked Kagami in the eyes. 

“Kagami Tsurugi. You are the wielder of the Dragon, and you always will be. However, in light of your recent actions...” 

From her purse she removed one of the small, red spotted containers that held a single Miraculous. 

"While I would ask that you keep it inactive, I am offering you the Miraculous of the Bee. To guard, as you have already established a rapport with its kwami, and to wield, albeit only in the most dire of circumstances and with every precaution. Will you do this for me?” 

Marinette’s stare burned into her, full of fear and love and trust, and Kagami met it without flinching. 

“I will.” 

Kagami smiled at her, and finally, Marinette let herself relax, dismissing the gravitas of the Guardian and assuming that of the teenager. Setting the box with the Bee on Kagami’s nightstand, she flopped into her girlfriend’s lap, resulting in a quiet laugh from her. 

“That was. Exhausting. But it’s over. Kagami, I missed you.” 

“I never left your side. I have no intentions of doing so, now or ever.” 

“I know.” 

How long they held each other, Marinette wasn’t sure, but eventually Kagami extracted herself before standing and offering Marinette a hand. “If you’re up for it, I thought we’d invite Adrien for ice cream. I know things between us two will still be slightly awkward for a while as we heal, but as it happens, we two also have to remain somewhat distant while others can see lest Adrien’s father learn the true nature of his son’s relationship. Or relationships, rather. Therefore, us three all spending time together in public is the ideal middle ground for now.” 

“…You’re doing it again. The _entirely too cute_ thing where you act all blandly logical while being more considerate than, oh, let me think, anyone else I’ve ever met.” 

“Perhaps it was on purpose this time. You haven’t given me a response.” 

Marinette smiled. “Yes. That sounds wonderful, Kagami.” 

She took her girlfriend’s hand and let herself be whisked away on what, while it couldn’t be officially labelled as such quite yet, was most definitely a date.

**Author's Note:**

> Still haven’t gotten around to writing a Tangled fic, but I absolutely could and did steal the villain’s final form for an akuma design. If you want comically obvious and _fully intended_ poly subtext, something that is unspeakably rare and can’t really be a non-subtext thing yet in the same way Korrasami couldn’t have happened a decade earlier, go watch the Tangled series. It’s good, y’all.
> 
> Also, despite having already decided to reference Tangled, and despite having already thought about the two characters' similarities (fuck, they even share a classpect), the parallels between Kagami and Cassandra here were accidental. No, seriously. Totally didn’t notice until this was already half written. Whoops.
> 
> Anyway. Sorry to cap off this series (for now) on a rough patch. Of course, you could always go back and reread the last chapter of Perfection, since all but the first section technically took place after this story. Next time it’ll be predominantly fluff, I promise, but it’ll probably be a while.


End file.
